


i’ll be coming home at last

by RefugeeofTumblr



Category: Artemis Fowl - Eoin Colfer
Genre: Anal Sex, F/M, NSFW, Sex, Trans Female Character, respectful conversations about boundaries, trans woman holly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-17
Updated: 2018-07-17
Packaged: 2019-06-11 18:16:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15321387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RefugeeofTumblr/pseuds/RefugeeofTumblr
Summary: Years after the end of the books, Artemis and Holly find that they're in a place where they can safely acknowledge and act on their feelings for each other.





	i’ll be coming home at last

His window is open, always, on nights like this. Artemis Fowl the Second wouldn’t even dream of having it any other way, for on nights like tonight a magical full moon hangs above Ireland, shedding pale light over his home and sending anticipation down his spine.

Why? Because every five months or so, on the full moon, he gets a visitor.

Most human cultures have their superstitions about the full moon, of course, but few know that the full moon is one of the only things that continues to tie the fairy people to the surface of this planet at all. The People, as they call themselves, are bound by their own laws and rituals; the most important of these is The Ritual, which allows a fairy to replenish their spent supply of magical power.

The Ritual itself is, in fact, how Artemis began his rather involved contact with humanity’s subterranean neighbors in the first place. Once he’d learned the specific components that needed to be in place for completing the magical contract, he’d been able to lie in wait and catch a fairy in the act, so to speak. It hadn’t been the nicest of meetings. After all, kidnapping someone rarely is, fairy or human. Yet that fairy, the one Artemis has had the most complex and unusual relationship in his life with, is the very same one who now comes gliding into his room though the open window.

Part-time LEPrecon captain and full-time Section 8 leader Holly Short is not your average elf, just as Artemis is anything but your average human. A good thing, as it turns out. If they had never met and agreed to work together numerous times, it’s likely that a number of evil plots to incite war between humans and the People would have succeeded, causing centuries of bloodshed and misery the world over. Holly’s skills and Artemis’ genius-level intellect have rather literally saved entire species.

At the moment, though, neither of them are thinking about that long history. Holly lets her mechanical wings fold delicately into the back of her suit and pulls off her helmet to greet her friend.

“You wouldn’t believe the nerve of this smuggler tonight!”

Artemis offers a genuine grin. It’s always good to see his fiery elfin friend again. “Oh, I wouldn’t?”

“He decided to stab me. Well, try, anyway. But oh, I got yelled at for how close it came.”

“Foaly does care about you, despite his... propensity for expressing it through mockery.” He gestures at the slightly smaller desk chair set up beside his own, and Holly hops up to crouch on the seat with impressive speed and grace. “I’m sure he‘s as relieved as I am that you came through unscathed.”

Holly’s grumpiness about the whole affair softens. “That’s what counts, I suppose. What have you been getting up to, then? Any crazy plans that I should be aware of?”

“Oh, not at the moment.”

“You think I believe that, Arty?”

Her use of the nickname makes a spark of warmth blossom in his chest, and his smile widens ever so slightly. Well, he never has been able to go for long without making or executing a plan of some kind - usually of the illegal persuasion. Life is just too damnably dull otherwise.

A small elbow nudges him in the ribs. “Come _on_ , mud man. Tell me!”

The files he keeps on the subject are in a hidden folder on his desktop. He doesn’t bother with those, instead opting to open his arms - a touch of theatricality he can’t resist - and tell her a dramatized version of how he came up with the plan. Causing chaos at a French bank is rather low-level mischief compared to his usual capers, but Holly seems to enjoy this current iteration of the plan so far. Artemis watches her ears twitch contentedly as she listens; it seems that his larcenous version of story time is more relaxing than he’d expected.

A thought that Artemis will appreciate even more in retrospect, as it turns out. As Holly relaxes, she starts to forget the one secret that she usually tries to keep from her friend: that she’s deeply in love with him.

This is not because she thinks he doesn’t return her feelings. His attraction to her has been made obvious several times over the years - most notably when, in a moment of pure adrenaline and relief, they’d actually kissed. Yet Holly has always been conscious of the age difference between them. Artemis, when they’d had their accidental kiss, had only been sixteen, and so Holly had immediately warned him that it was a mistake. She could never hurt him that way, by starting a _relationship_ when he hadn’t even had the chance to come into his own yet.

_‘Your elf-kissing days are over.’_

Well, he’s twenty-five now, and it’s some strange combination of their closeness, the comfortable atmosphere, and her own suppressed longing that makes Holly’s hand drift unconsciously to land on Artemis’ leg. The inside of his thigh, to be precise.

A sudden tension enters his body when she touches him, one that makes Holly wince nervously, pinning her ears back in silent, confused apology.

“I... Are you okay?”

He watches her with mismatched eyes, mirrors of her own, one hazel and one blue. The look feels like he’s trying to search her very soul from top to bottom; she isn’t used to being on the receiving end of a stare like that anymore, not from him, and especially not since they’ve come to trust each other so implicitly.

Just as slowly as she’d reached out, Artemis moves to rest one hand on top of hers, a torn expression breaking through the mask of wary confusion he’d been wearing a moment ago.

“Holly, touches like... _this_ have meanings I can’t ignore. Meanings I don’t know that you would want.”

Oh.

_Why did I do something so stupid?_ Holly berates herself silently for a moment, because she knows what he means now. But then she’s distracted when the torn denial on Artemis’ face wavers as he watches her.

“Do you,” - he licks his lips, tries again - “Is there something between us?”

This is a very dangerous path to go down and both of them know it as well as they know each other. Seldom is there any interaction between the People and humans, let alone any close interaction. There are simply too many factors at play for it to be otherwise, and in that context, even their peculiar brand of friendship is a truly radical thing to have.

But d’arvit, the heart can’t be so easily persuaded. Holly doesn’t even know when her feelings for Artemis crossed the line from friendship to love, let alone when he actually started to have feelings for her as well. The only thing she knows is that she wants to tell him the _truth_. Not for herself, but because he deserves to know.

“I tried to let it go. It wouldn’t be easy or safe. You deserve better than just waiting for me all the time.”

He laughs. Holly blinks, and her confusion must show on her face, because he leans in closer, so close that he almost lets their foreheads touch.

“I’ve been waiting for you every night for a long time, Holly.”

“Leaving a window open once every few months isn’t-” The truth hits home then, like an arrow slamming into her heart. How could she not see it? He really has been waiting for her this whole time. Of course he has, patient like the goddess of hunters he’s named after. It’s in his nature.

Patient. _Devoted_. The thought makes a shiver run down her spine. How can Artemis have done such a thing - devoting himself to her like this - even after being turned down? She’s never given him any guarantee that she’ll return his love in any way, even though by now it’s impossible to deny to herself that she does.

Holly exhales shakily, conscious of the final secret between them being exposed at last. “I just want you to be happy, Artemis.”

“I am. With you.”

A thrill runs down Holly’s spine, excitement and love and a spark of possessiveness all at the same time. She feels his fingers intertwine gently with hers. Just on these special nights, maybe, if they’re very careful, they can be together the way they both really want to be.

The thought emboldens them: Artemis lets out a soft sigh of pleasure as their lips meet, and Holly grins into the kiss. Tasting him sends yet more pleasant shivers down the elf’s spine; he tastes like coffee and something that she doesn’t quite have a name for, but revels in all the same. She’s so preoccupied by the moment, in fact, that when he wraps his arms around her and draws her into his lap, she isn’t even surprised.

Artemis finds himself equally happy with how things are going; he draws the woman he loves closer, reveling at the heady feeling of _finally_ being able to touch her freely. He’s loved Holly for a long time. How could he not? Everything about her is beautiful and precious to him in its own way, from her soft, short, spiky hair to the way her voice gets a little deeper than most other women’s when she doesn’t pay attention to controlling it.

He’s well aware by now that he’s head over heels for her. Being a genius does tend to make it hard to ignore the obvious. But the fact of the matter is that years ago, realizing and accepting his emotions would have made him feel terror of the kind generally reserved for someone in the path of a rogue troll. Emotions that he can’t control are dangerous. They still worry him for that very reason, in fact, for all that he’s learned to handle them better with maturity. But as the venerable saying goes, some things are worth the risk.

Artemis isn’t sure he could ever give up kissing and holding and touching her now. _Holly loves me too!_ The words haven’t been said out loud, but her confession was close enough, and even that’s enough to make him melt a bit inside from sheer joy.

“Gods,” she breathes as they part for air.

He chuckles. “Good?”

“Oh, yes. But...” A mischievous spark flickers to life in her eyes. That’s the only warning Artemis gets before a hand slips under his shirt, and a different kind of excitement pulses through his veins at her curious touches.

Well, his body clearly approves as much as his heart does, but there’s one last thing he needs to know before they start:

“Holly? I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, but there are some things I’d like to ask.”

She settles down into a better position on his lap, shoots him a curious glance. “What do you need to know?”

“I just want to know what you like and don’t like,” Artemis says with a slight shrug. “Is there anything you want me to avoid? Anything you particularly prefer?”

Oh. Of course. Holly blinks, then laughs softly at herself for being surprised. Her favorite human surprises her still with how caring he can be. She knows, too, that the care and attention might have made her feel uncomfortable or suspicious, had they come from anyone else. People have had a bad habit of babying her the moment they learn that she’s trans in the past. Artemis, though, is a different story. He’s never done that, so she feels safe in the understanding that his only motivation here is to make things better for both of them.

“Well, I like being on top. Is that okay?”

A grin spreads across his face. _How I hoped you’d say that_. “Certainly.”

While Artemis is the dominant partner in most situations in his life, he’s fairly certain that in bed, he prefers to switch things up more than locking into a single role. The problem, though, is that being on the bottom isn’t something he feels safe doing with just anyone, hence why he hasn’t taken that position before.

Holly, though? Absolutely.

“That’s good, okay. Um... and can we keep the lights off, the first time? Besides that, I think I’m fine.”

Artemis nods. Fairy eyes are keen even in the dark, and the light of the lamp on the nightstand has to seem glaring in comparison. Not quite the best way to set the mood this time. Well, lesson learned. He gives Holly’s hand a gentle squeeze and leads her over to the bed, monitoring her expressive face and ears to make sure both of them are still completely comfortable with the situation.

Turning off the light and fishing a couple packets of lube from the nightstand is a brief but helpful interval to prepare himself mentally. _It’s finally happening!_ Holly has admitted that she wants him, and it’s hard not to get downright _giddy_ from the pure exhilaration he feels right now.

Then Artemis joins her on the bed; once he lays down the packets he grabbed, Holly reaches out and puts them to the side for later. They have time. What they do now is going to be slow, slow and gentle. A grin spreads across her lips as Artemis pulls her closer so they can kiss again, savoring the taste as heat starts to rise in their blood and the need to touch becomes more and more powerful. Gods, it’s good to be so close to him. All the heat of her soon-to-be lover’s body - Artemis is like a furnace, despite his pale complexion - radiates into the space between them.

For Holly, who hates being cold, it’s absolutely perfect.

“Shirts off?”

_Yes, please,_ Holly wants to say, but she doesn’t trust her voice to be steady and not breathless right now, so she nods emphatically instead.

Holly is lean and well-muscled under her shirt from hours spent keeping herself ready for combat. Most officers coming from under the world don’t actually get into as many dangerous situations as she does, but the extra work and care has helped save her life many times. The clear appreciation in Artemis’ eyes doesn’t hurt either; the grin he offers as he meets her gaze makes the elf smile fondly back. Compared to Artemis’ own rather _soft_ core and muscles, it’s clear at a glance where each of their strengths lie.

That’s not to say that she doesn’t look at him just as appreciatively as he’s looking at her. Seeing him unclothed like this is a treat that’s now irrevocably all for her, and not only because of the trust it clearly takes to make himself vulnerable. Artemis is anything but weak in all the ways that really matter, and she traces gentle fingers down his body now, enjoying the soft, warm skin underneath her fingertips.

The sensation she suddenly feels at her back doesn’t make sense for a moment. Then Holly realizes that it’s Artemis undoing her bra, and she laughs, sticking her tongue out at him for being sneaky. It doesn’t dissuade him. Quite the opposite, actually. He succeeds in getting her bra all the way off - with a little cooperation - and smirks at her like the cat that got the cream.

To her eternal satisfaction, that smirk turns into wide eyes and a breathy moan as she turns the tables by tweaking his nipples.

“Oh, sensitive, are we?” Holly teases, but her voice is gentle.

Artemis squirms and blushes. “Very.”

The words turn into another moan as she takes the opportunity to tease him further. Though her breasts are not quite as sensitive, she enjoys the way his hands touch and explore while she’s preoccupied with each nipple. Having a lover hasn’t exactly been on her priority list for quite a while. She’d almost forgotten how good it is to be close to someone like this. And the fact that it’s him makes it a million times better.

Before long, though, the throbbing between her legs has become hard to ignore. Licking her lips, Holly sits up.

“Ready, Artemis?”

When he nods, they both shuck off their lower layers, dumping the clothes uncaringly on the floor. It feels good to free their erections, even for Holly. She finds, to her surprise, that she doesn’t feel the additional weight of _shame_ on her shoulders tonight, the weight of having body parts that she usually feels like she has to apologize for.

Perhaps Artemis senses this. He leans in and gives her a gentle, soothing kiss, just to make sure she knows that everything is perfectly fine.

Holly relaxes completely this time, and hums happily against his lips. The reassurance helps them steady themselves as Artemis leans back against the pillows, hands laced with hers to pull her on top of him. In the process, she finds that she can slot herself perfectly in between his legs.

Gods above, the rub of skin on skin is a heady feeling! If she hadn’t been ready before, she would surely be ready after this. How overwhelming! Holly doesn’t lose focus, though. Her awareness sharpens, if anything, to how eager her lover is beneath her. The smile that realization brings to her lips is one part fond and one part mischievous - the mud man thinks he’s excited now? Wait until he finds out what she’s about to do.

Relaxed but desperate for more, Artemis tries his best to keep himself under control. Of course, the heat pooling in his gut makes it hard to concentrate on that control, but the struggle is a small price to pay compared to how _good_ everything feels right now.

He loses all hope of control anyway when a lube-slicked finger presses teasingly against his entrance. A low, excited whine rumbles up from his throat. So close to where he wants it! But he’s letting Holly take control here, and he finds that he both loves and hates it when she teases him like this. It’s exhilarating to let go of the need to be in power, to trust so completely that she won’t hurt him and that they’ll be able to take care of each other in the moment. With that half-formed thought comes a different notion: begging would probably lead to more teasing, and Artemis doesn’t want that, but _enticing_ is just up his alley.

“Mm, Holly,” he groans, and curls himself forward so he can touch his forehead to hers. As an added bonus, the heat and friction the motion generates between their erections makes them groan in unison.

Obviously, she’s already put together his motives. “You tease.”

“Second only to you, sweetheart.”

They smile. Holly takes action, then, and Artemis’ laugh turns into a quiet, pleased cry as she gives him what he really wants.

“God! Yes! Right there!”

Preparing Artemis should be quite easy, in theory. This particular arrangement means that their size difference actually works to their advantage instead of warranting extra caution. Most elves are rather smaller than their human counterparts genital-wise, just as they’re smaller - though relatively the same proportion-wise - in most other respects, and there’s no exception here. A relief, truth be told, because Holly has no desire to hurt the man she loves. To not have to worry _quite_ as much as she might with a lover of her own species is a bonus she hadn’t given thought to before.

Moving at a deliberate pace, she begins to take him apart with gentle movements, rubbing and stroking just close enough to where he’ll be most sensitive, but never quite touching that place directly. The indignant pout he shoots her is more than worth a slow build.

She laughs. “You’re usually the patient one, Artemis. What happened?”

He just growls and captures her lips with his own. Rough, hot, wet - the kiss is everything her teasing movements inside him aren’t right now.

_Oh, you can try, Fowl, but I’m in charge._

Holly’s worked Artemis open with four fingers before she deems him ready, finally pulling them out to slick her cock. Heat pulses through her veins. The same mix of lust and love and relief passes over his face, too, as she watches; they both know the time is right. Holly lines herself up, looks into her lover’s eyes- and then there’s no more thinking. A long, drawn-out “Oh!” escapes her throat as, at the last second, he raises his hips to meet her first thrust, driving them together to the hilt immediately.

Heat and wet and _tight!_ Pleasure ripples powerfully down Holly’s spine, making every muscle tense and then relax. “Gods, so good,” the elf hisses, hips starting to buck a little into the start of a rhythm.

Panting now, Artemis can only cling to her and try to coordinate their movements. The time for kisses is over now. He thinks dimly that all the breath he has has been sucked away by the sheer force of the need boiling in his blood. It’s impossible to resist, pulling him ever closer to completion with each thrust. But what if he comes too soon? That would be a-

“Gonna come!”

His warning moan makes Holly take a couple precautions, like gripping the base of his cock firmly, eyes fixed on his all the while. _Don’t come yet,_ the motion says. _I’m not finished with you._

“Sorry,” Artemis breathes.

“You don’t need to apologize. It’s how your body reacts. Just stay with me a little longer,” she pants, still thrusting. The things their coupling is doing to her! “Gods, so good-”

“Yes!”

Their lips brush again, making the pleasure growing within them start to reach a crescendo. Breathlessness won’t let them hold the kisses for long, but swallowing each other’s moans and whines is too tempting to resist for long.

So close! Artemis’ desperate thrusts upward into her hand and against the motion of her cock make Holly groan eagerly. Now that she’s close herself, the elf grins against her lover’s lips, relishing the look of both excitement and confusion as he sees the mischief in her eyes. Then she loosens her grip on the base of Artemis’ erection, thumbs his oh-so-sensitive tip teasingly.

When he comes he clenches even tighter, inner walls squeezing deliciously. Gods, Holly can’t hold on either. The need for release is too strong. She kisses him as they both orgasm, swallowing his cries and letting him muffle her own with his lips in return. Well, that’s what she does when it starts; once awareness returns after the whiteout of pure bliss, Holly finds herself collapsed on top of him, content and so relaxed that she feels almost boneless.

“Nngh,” she says, ears twitching happily.

A gentle huff from beneath her. “So eloquent, as always.”

Yawning, Holly raises her head to flash him a grin. “S’ why you love me, mud man.”

“My perfect conversationalist.”

How can he even form words that long right after sex? _It’s not fair,_ Holly decides, and sticks out her tongue rebelliously before laying her head back down.

By the gods, her body wants sleep right now, and the warmth of him makes it even harder to fight the impulse. Another yawn comes shortly after the last, forcing her eyes to droop. A tiny part of her mind sends warning signals: _you need to leave,_ it calls. _You won’t get up again if you wait._

Perhaps Artemis can sense her inner turmoil, because he hums contentedly and nuzzles the top of her head before speaking again:

“Just get some rest. I’ll set an alarm to wake us up in an hour.”

_Then again,_ Holly decides, _it can’t hurt to have just a tiny rest_. Responsibility can wait for a while. She did do everything else she needed to do before coming here to see him...

Her mind is made up. “Thanks,” she mumbles, already more than halfway to blissful unconsciousness as he grabs his phone to set the alarm. From the steady, relaxed way Artemis’ chest rises and falls under her cheek, he’s close to falling asleep too.

And in an hour, they’ll get to wake up to each other for the first time. What more could they possibly ask for?

**Author's Note:**

> As always, crossposted from my writing tumblr, swordofalbion. Let me know what you think if you enjoyed it! I love these two, and I really want to share that excitement with any fellow shippers I can.


End file.
